Smashing Particles, Batman!

Link of the day for Tuesday, July 31

In May 2008, the Large Hadron Collider will send millions and millions of atoms smashing together in the hopes of discovering hidden particles.

But what exactly is an atom ? What is the composition of an atom ? What are particles ? What happens when we smash particles together at speeds close to the speed of light ? Why do we care ? These are just some of the questions that have baffled scientists for decades. As we get an answer to one of those questions, another one emerges.

So how does one go about explaining these concepts to someone who is not a rocket scientist ? Through the use of interactive learning techniques, The Particle Adventure introduces us to the microscopic world of protons, electrons, photons, and other bizarre phenomenon. By using a simple interface, this site uses animated graphics and simple text explanations to give us a better understanding on what happens at microscopic and sub-atomic levels.

This is a fun, easy read that any amateur scientist can understand.

[particleadventure.org]